I bought a few Weatherby UL MANY years ago when it first came out...in 25-06, 280 and 338-06. With 210 gr Nosler Partitions, I took a black wildebeest, a LARGE waterbuck, blesbok, mountain reedbuck and a zebra. Ranges from 120 yds to 275 yards. All were 1 shot kills. If you limit shots to less than 300 yds, and shoot a lighter 338 bullet....200-210 grs...it's a great round. Even in my UL the recoil is mild and it's a real joy to tote all day. Great round for sure.

G

I've got one, on a'51 FN Shilen barrel. I've shot elk and moose with it. A 225gr at 2650 with a 22" barrel.My 338WM does 2775 with a 24". Powder choice, two grains faster than 4350 and four grains slower than 4064.

quote:

I was tired of needing a brake to shoot RUM, and Wby .338 bore magnums.

This is a good enough reason to steer clear of them.

Pieter

quote:

Originally posted by TWL:
Wouldn't begin to know how popular it is. Be pretty hard to get an estimate.

I reckon like many calibres that once you are off the forums these calibres are very thin on the ground.

Don't know about America but I think the principle would be the same....On our biggest guns/hunting forum there are heaps of 375 (H&H and Ruger), 9.3 X 62, 338 Win, 25/06, 300 Wby etc. and etc.

However, in the real world it is mainly the 223 and 308 and 99% of the rest would be 22/250, 243 and 270.

We can also get a distorted view by our mates. For example I don't have any friends or shooting acquaintances that own a 223, 308, 243. However, like me they are gun nuts and so you have stuff like 22/240 Wby, 22/06, 30-378, RUMs and so on.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael McGuire:

quote:

Originally posted by TWL:
Wouldn't begin to know how popular it is. Be pretty hard to get an estimate.

I reckon like many calibres that once you are off the forums these calibres are very thin on the ground.

Don't know about America but I think the principle would be the same....On our biggest guns/hunting forum there are heaps of 375 (H&H and Ruger), 9.3 X 62, 338 Win, 25/06, 300 Wby etc. and etc.

However, in the real world it is mainly the 223 and 308 and 99% of the rest would be 22/250, 243 and 270.

We can also get a distorted view by our mates. For example I don't have any friends or shooting acquaintances that own a 223, 308, 243. However, like me they are gun nuts and so you have stuff like 22/240 Wby, 22/06, 30-378, RUMs and so on.

Very good point.

At my range, most popular are 22 LR, 223, and 308, followed by 30-06, 300 WM, 7mm Rem Mag, 243, and 270.

When other shooters come over to see what I'm shooting - that is, 257 AI, 280 AI, 30-06 AI, 338 Gibbs, 338 RUM, 375 AI, 416 RUM, and the like - their eyes glaze over and they say "WTF" are you shooting. That's all I need to start showing them.

I like mine just fine

Did fire a handload with the heavy NEI roundnose.
No seasoned wood, so used 18" of recent cut birch. Not many tougher or denser woods than birch... Split the log with a maul and found the bullet about 7" deep. It did lose a couple fragments but looks to be still mostly intact. Penetrated in straight line.

Also fired a 230gr Nosler Failsafe over 60gr of xmr4350. Pulverized wood shows similar depth but no sign of the bullet. Saw no exit hole, but was twilight... Will dig more for the slugs on Sun.


Again about "popularity", Elmer Keith was about the only gunwriter to ever mention .33 bore rifles that I recall. That his was a .333 not a .338, in the OKH designation didn't help after the bore diameter standardized with advent of .338win mag. Recall that Flaigs and other mail-order places were selling 8mm Mausers with turned down bolts for $30 and ammo a few cents a round. Custom barrel with relatively few bullets to do a .338-06 had few compelling reasons to become "popular".

How many guys were handloading in the early 60s? Pretty much just got to be widely accepted in that era.


Is 9.3x63 "popular"? Seems everyone wants one nowadays, but unless intending for a Big 5 Africa adventure, what's the point? Bullet choice is very limited compared to .338, .358, & .375; yet the gang all want one. Like .366 is magic compared to .358.. .008" greater diameter, less than the width of 3 hairs...

"Popularity"? Weighed my lubed & gas checked NEI ww cast boolits and they go 312gr! Seems like all I could ever need if didn't already have a thousand or more premium jacketed bullets from 225-250gr. Still might like my 312gr boolt even better. Just have to get them to group at a nice rate of speed.

quote:

Originally posted by aklester:

Again about "popularity", Elmer Keith was about the only gunwriter to ever mention .33 bore rifles that I recall.

Bob Hagel was also a big 338 bore man but at the 338 Win, 340 Wby area.

The .338-06 has been around for quite a long time, and what has kept it alive has been the great number of .338 bullets available, plus readily available .30-06 brass for it. There was a time when one had to use .30-06 brass for it, but nowadays there is head-stamped brass available at Midaway, Cabela's, and so on. What is not to like about a .30-06 case topped by a bigger bullet?
https://www.google.com/search?...ss&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I use the .338WM for hunting in Alaska, but don't see anything wrong with a .338-06 loaded with 185-grain TTSX or just 210-NOS bullets for moose hunting. In fact, I have been thinking about it quite a lot lately.

The new factory offerings (short and fat, no belt, and so on) have hardly put a dent on the standard calibers up to the .375, maybe because most hunters don't want to fix what's not broken, or just because there is no ammo readily available for the new calibers, OR MAYBE because the new calibers aren't killing game any deader than existing calibers

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:
The .338-06 has been around for quite a long time, and what has kept it alive has been the great number of .338 bullets available, plus readily available .30-06 brass for it.

I'm very careful now about buying any new cartridge with a proprietary brass design because of ammo/brass availability. Look no further then all the WSSMs.

I'm grateful for Ruger Basic and 375Ruger.

Good stuff for efficiently using the standard magnum boltface.

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:
The .338-06 has been around for quite a long time, and what has kept it alive has been the great number of .338 bullets available, plus readily available .30-06 brass for it.

I'm very careful now about buying any new cartridge with a proprietary brass design because of ammo/brass availability. Look no further then all the WSSMs.

Good points.

The .338-06 had been in existence for many years as a wildcat, and most of the brass for it was .30-06 one. Then a few years ago A-Square made it official as the .338-06 A Square, but it's the same .338-06 as it has always been. One can use .30-06 bras if one likes, or head-stamped brass that's readily available.

It's somewhat like the .338 Federal, in that it had been a wildcat for many years as the .338-08. It means that one can use .308 cases, expand the heads to accept .338-caliber bullets. And there are plenty of .30-06 brass for the .338-06, and .308 brass for the .338 Federal.

Every now and then I see moose hunter carrying the .338-06 A-Square, as well as the .338 Federal. But while I don't see ammo for the first at the stores, I have seen some for the latter.

I've never owned one, but before I got a chrono I used a lot of loads in my 338 mag that I could easily have achieved with a 338-06. And they worked so well that if I didn't already have a 338 mag that I like I would probably build a 338-06. Plenty for anything smaller than a buffalo IMHO.

That the 338-06 is still a popular shooter is adequately and admirably spelled out in this thread goes without saying to all those that have one.

I just posted my result with Horn 225 gr bullets elsewhere on AR...I've used basically one load since I developed it back in the mid 60's IMT 4320/225 Horn SP/Rem 9 1/2 until the Fed 210M match primers came out. I bought up ALL the 4320 in metal cans I could find back then and have been using it all along.

A year and a half ago I started to load up for the season and found the partial can was full of rust or something brown so I tossed it...I checked 8 other cans with the same results...all rusted, all smelled funny and I WASN'T going to "load up a few to test" for obvious reasons.

To make a short story long, I went to Varget, and ended up with the same accuracy almost identical velocity but with a lower case volume.

I've been playing with my 7mmRM, 375 JDJ and 338 Lapua, cam across this link and figured I would play with the 338-06 at the same time.

I posted all the info AND forkups on another link for those interested which shows just how good this cartridge is...

The same procedures I used to get higher velos in it to equal the 338 Mag can be used with the Mag version to gain an additional gain in velo.

Mo matter how good the 338-06 is and even if I can equal 338 Mag velos safely in the standard ~70 plus gr case, or even better velos if you happen to have some of the long gone 30-06 basic ~80 gr case and do a 380 Howell, the fact that the 338 M has a 7% to ~17% more case volume, all things being equal, the 338 M has a 7% to 17% greater edge and could be, THEORETICALLY, be increased that much over the 338-06...in reality this isn't possible but you can get more velo using those "secret" techniques...and you can do the same with any other caliber/cartridge/case...to a greater or lessor degree.

What EVERYONE forgets is factory 338 Mag ballistics are scattered all over the place and many loads are developed in varying barrel lengths. What one load develops in a 26" bbl won't be produced in a 24" bbl...so a 338 M might not be a magnum load after all is said and done...and what a reloader comes up with can be even less of a magnum than what he/she wants to admit.

As long as the load works and the shooter is happy, splitting hairs is immaterial...it is STILL a 338 Magnum in their eyes...what someone else thinks doesn't count for sheet...

The same for the 338-06...it is a great caliber, does it's job with less recoil, less powder and does NOT have to take a back seat to ANY cartridge/caliber. I have a rack full of everything from 17 to 50 cal, but I find I go to my 338-06 more often than not. Unless a T-Rex comes over the back fence along with his buddy the cave bear, the really BIG calibers just sit there waiting.

I own one, I took a Remington Sportsman 78 in .30-06 to Doug Shilen back in the early "80's and had them put a very heavy 23" barrel on it, extremely ugly but is probably the most accurate rifle I own. 210 gr Nosler Partitions at 2770 fps will group in one hole at 100 yards and have accounted for dozens of deer, pigs, coyotes, a few elk, two moose, and every animal I shot on my first three trips to Africa. I haven't shot it in a few years so I believe I'll take it hunting in a couple of weeks when Texas' rifle deer season opens. Thanks for starting this discussion.

One of the tings I have against the 338/06 and also calibres like the 7-08 is that the majority of projectiles are designed for the 338 Winchester and 7 mm Remington.

I know the above is not justified as demonstrated by the reports on this thread and of course elsewhere. However, in spite of that it just remains a sticking point for me.

quote:

so a 338 M might not be a magnum load after all

When is a load a "magnum load'?
A magnum load is a nebulous concept, because where do we draw the velocity line?

2600 fps
2700 fps
2800 fps
2900 fps
3000 fps

Much better that we look bullet mass and momentum at practical hunting distances, and I am not ignoring flatter trajectories where one would opt for higher BC's with higher velocities for a specific application. Out to 250 yards and an apprppriate zero distance and you need not to worry too much about so called magnum velocities or trying to gain an extra 100 fps with a hot load out of a specific rifle. The focus is much better placed on bullet performance that shooting frangible bullets at high velocity. If you seek more velocity than do pair it off with monolithic bullets that do not shatter on impact.

Pieter

Ray,

I'm with you on domesticated wildcats. I have a 338 Federal. I would also buy a 338-06. I'd be slower to buy a 338 RCM which is a great round. I don't think Hornady would abandon their joint creation but they are the only one making brass for it. Most companies will always make 308 & 30-06 brass and there will always be 338 bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:
Ray,

I'd be slower to buy a 338 RCM which is a great round. I don't think Hornady would abandon their joint creation but they are the only one making brass for it. Most companies will always make 308 & 30-06 brass and there will always be 338 bullets.

If you lived in Australia you would not touch a 338 RCM with a 10 foot pole

quote:

Originally posted by Michael McGuire:
One of the tings I have against the 338/06 and also calibres like the 7-08 is that the majority of projectiles are designed for the 338 Winchester and 7 mm Remington.

I know the above is not justified as demonstrated by the reports on this thread and of course elsewhere. However, in spite of that it just remains a sticking point for me.

Having lots of .338-caliber bullets to choose from is not a bad thing. In fact, that's one of the things that make cartridges based on .338-caliber bullets interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by Pieter die 4de:

quote:

so a 338 M might not be a magnum load after all

When is a load a "magnum load'?
A magnum load is a nebulous concept, because where do we draw the velocity line?

2600 fps
2700 fps
2800 fps
2900 fps
3000 fps

Much better that we look bullet mass and momentum at practical hunting distances, and I am not ignoring flatter trajectories where one would opt for higher BC's with higher velocities for a specific application. Out to 250 yards and an apprppriate zero distance and you need not to worry too much about so called magnum velocities or trying to gain an extra 100 fps with a hot load out of a specific rifle. The focus is much better placed on bullet performance that shooting frangible bullets at high velocity. If you seek more velocity than do pair it off with monolithic bullets that do not shatter on impact.

Pieter

"Magnum" is just cartridge branding. If you want a 338-06 because of its O6 like recoil then get one. Believe it or not there are even better bullet choices today for the lower velocity 338s such as the Fed and 338-06. The 338 win mag is a fantastic cartridge as well but as soon as you say 338 win mag others start trying to talk you out of it citing all kinds of reason not to own one that really just amount to scaring them shitless I guess.

I too have a .338-06 and love it. Built on a Higgins FN commercial Mauser action w a 22" Douglas bbl. Synthetic stock and custom scope mounts as a nasty weather hunting tool.

Shoots as well as my best bolt rifle ... a 338 WM without the bite at the shoulder end.

I too like the 9,3s having 9,3x62 and 9,3x74R rifles.

They all kill above their weight class ;-)

Welcome back, Smallfry.

The 338 is pretty nice in all of its iterations. The 338Fed, 338-06 and 338 RCM would have been about perfect for my wife for plains game, as is the 9.3x62. But Tanzania has this ".375" law if someone wants a buffalo license. So my wife opted for a 375Ruger that I load down for her to 338-06 to 338WinMag levels. The 375 has some great monolithic bullets in 200gn GSC and 235gn CEB extended-range raptors. The 250gn TTSX is available if a little more weight is desired for tradions' sake and a higher BC.

It's all good, the important thing is to have something to shoot at.

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Welcome back, Smallfry.

The 338 is pretty nice in all of its iterations. The 338Fed, 338-06 and 338 RCM would have been about perfect for my wife for plains game, as is the 9.3x62. But Tanzania has this ".375" law if someone wants a buffalo license. So my wife opted for a 375Ruger that I load down for her to 338-06 to 338WinMag levels. The 375 has some great monolithic bullets in 200gn GSC and 235gn CEB extended-range raptors. The 250gn TTSX is available if a little more weight is desired for tradions' sake and a higher BC.

It's all good, the important thing is to have something to shoot at.

Thanks 416Tanzan! The 9.3x62 is a fantastic caliber.

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael McGuire:
One of the tings I have against the 338/06 and also calibres like the 7-08 is that the majority of projectiles are designed for the 338 Winchester and 7 mm Remington.

I know the above is not justified as demonstrated by the reports on this thread and of course elsewhere. However, in spite of that it just remains a sticking point for me.

Having lots of .338-caliber bullets to choose from is not a bad thing. In fact, that's one of the things that make cartridges based on .338-caliber bullets interesting.

But aren't they all designed with the 338 Winchester in mind.

Michael,
Not really. I find that many 338 projectiles operate at common velocities like many of the .308 dia projectiles do. That is, the low end of 1800 fps or so. I know this because I have recovered a number of them on the long end of a 338 win mag. That being said there are a few tough ones I wouldn't feel were the best choice.

mstarling,
The only med velocity medium bore I do now is the 9.3x62. It's got great qualities. I was thinking of doing a 21" 338 fed with adjustable NECGs. I kinda have no more love for the 35s but they do work.

quote:

Originally posted by smallfry:

"Magnum" is just cartridge branding.

Does that mean my 350 Rem mag is not a magnum? It even has a belt because it's so powerful.

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:

quote:

Originally posted by smallfry:

"Magnum" is just cartridge branding.

Does that mean my 350 Rem mag is not a magnum? It even has a belt because it's so powerful.

Quite simply it means that if a manufacture says its a "magnum" then it's a "magnum" regardless of its physics. It's just branding.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael McGuire:

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael McGuire:
One of the tings I have against the 338/06 and also calibres like the 7-08 is that the majority of projectiles are designed for the 338 Winchester and 7 mm Remington.

I know the above is not justified as demonstrated by the reports on this thread and of course elsewhere. However, in spite of that it just remains a sticking point for me.

Having lots of .338-caliber bullets to choose from is not a bad thing. In fact, that's one of the things that make cartridges based on .338-caliber bullets interesting.

But aren't they all designed with the 338 Winchester in mind.

There are plenty of .338-caliber bullets you can use with the .338-06. For example, nothing wrong with NOS Partition up to 210 grains, or a Barnes TTSX around 180 grains, and these are only two of numerous bullets you can use.

That said, Midway sells Nosler .338-06 ammo that is loaded with: 225-grain AccuBond, 210-grain Partition, 180-grain AccuBond, 200-grain AccuBond, 250-grain Partition, and 225-grain Partition. These are .338 Winchester bullets. Now, the 250-grain Partition Gold would be too tough for the 330-06 if you want expansion at longer ranges.

RAY - YOU ARE SMACK ON THE MONEY.
If these bullets cannot make the kill for you, you may as well give it up and go fishing.

Pieter

338 06 is a 338 Win mag after 150 yards anyway. Rem Corelocts and Hornady's probably work better out of a 338 06 but not by much.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael McGuire:
One of the tings I have against the 338/06 and also calibres like the 7-08 is that the majority of projectiles are designed for the 338 Winchester and 7 mm Remington.

I know the above is not justified as demonstrated by the reports on this thread and of course elsewhere. However, in spite of that it just remains a sticking point for me.

It's all about velocity windows, and Small Fry touched upon this. Most manufactures make bullets with a minimum working velocity of around 1800 fps for reliable bullet expansion. The .338 Win Mag doesn't need super tough bullets because ballistically it's a super sized .30-06, so the .338-06 would be similar to a super sized .308 Win. So you simply have the velocity window stay open longer with the .338 Win mag.

Now there are bullets that are tough and need a little more velocity to work well. The Swift A-Frame is one that readily comes to mind as being a super tough bullet that should probably be avoided in the .338-06. However that doesn't mean there isn't a large amount of quality bullets that can't be used successfully on a wide variety of game in the .338-06.

338 Federal works with 185 TTSX and 180 Ballistic Tips. I'm sure they will work well at 338-06 speeds. None of these animals took a step when hit.

Scottfromdallas,
Tell me about the rifle. Stock, barrel length and sights. I've been meaning to throw a 338 fed. togeather on a short M70 with NECG adj. rears, maybe a 21-22" barrel and a McMillan compact edge.

Smallfry,

It's a Ruger Hawkeye with a 22" barrel. I added NECG sites and a McSwirly with 70% dark tan, 20% medium tan & 10% light tan. Scope is VXR 2-7 Firedot.

Trigger was lightened up to a crisp 3.5 lbs. Feeds smoothy and shoots good. Weighs about 8.5 Lbs with scope and sling.

The problem lies in comparing any cartridge without a belt to the 30-06..

Your case is typical in that a 210 Nosler at 2600 FPS beats the 30-06?? A 30-06 will send a 200 gr. bullet such as a Nosler down a 22 inch tube at 2600 plus A little, and a full 2700 FPS in a 24 inch gun..Do you think that 10 extra grains of bullet will make a difference on the receiving end??...That said I always got a good 2800 FPS in my .33806s with 210 Noslers and that was absolute max in everyone of them I owned and I have a chronograph..some may not and they get some real velocity.

If you want to improve the 06, you must go to a 300 magnum or better yet the .338 win. IMO...been down that road, did a lot of testing.

This.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
If you handload, the 338-06 makes a nice sandwich, and the world will never run out of 30-06 brass, the parent case.

As for the 338 RCM...BOTH guys who bought that caliber in the US agree that it killed off the 338-06 :-)

I've got a 336/06 built on a Ruger M77 Hawkeye with 24" McGowen barrel and it's a tack driver. It's pretty much my go to for everything I hunt: deer, elk & African PG.

The question was "how popular", I don't think anyone in there right mind would challenge the effectiveness on game of the 338-06 but in the real world and off the internet, the average shooter isn't jumping on the .338-06 and its not a fast selling item in the Wby line who is the only company that makes it as far as I know, so its a wildcat of sorts..No, its not popular, The 06, 30-30, 338,270, 308 etc. are the winners that will be around for many years to come. I could probably say the same for the great 35 Whelen, which keeps hanging on by its shirttail...and hopefully both will remain with us for those of us who like them.

I am sitting on about 80 pieces of brand new head stamped brass from A Square in 338-06. I have a LH Winchester Classic in 30 06 and maybe a second one coming in RH.

However, I also have a LH Mauser being worked on in 9.3x62 which I should really finish before another project. I have long been intrigued by the 338-06!